I wish I could declare a state of safety in my heart

A way to distinguish between comfort,

fear

And danger

How to tell the difference between who I think I am

And a stranger.

What is a stranger anyway

Except for the unknown made flesh?

Our collective labor pains

sometimes give birth to bombers.

I wish I knew the right wires to disconnect

within my feverish intellect.

The red one, the blue one?

The white one, the black one?

The turban, the hoodie the hajab?

But I’m already disconnected

Already too much at a distance.

Already wired for fear

That conveniently rejects

The truth I refuse to go near.

What safety can any official truly declare

That will keep me safe

From the terrorist within?